Indigenous canoe races are happening in False Creek this weekend
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A new festival is bringing Indigenous paddlers from across the Pacific Northwest to False Creek this weekend for exciting canoe races.
The first annual Four Fires Festival is happening at Concord Pacific Place and the festival grounds at Concord Community Park from September 10 to 11, and there are many cultural events and activities for everyone to enjoy.
Four Fires Festival includes a free live music festival, multiple food trucks, and dozens of Indigenous paddling teams from Oregon, Washington, and BC competing in 25 races on both Saturday and Sunday.
Four Fires Festival/fourfires.ca
The inaugural festival is led by Indigenous organizers and an all-Indigenous board of directors. It is presented by the North Vancouver Canoe Club of Squamish Nation and the Celtic Sunset Canoe Club of Musqueam Nation.
All Four Fires canoe racers will have a chance to win a hand-built six-man cedar strip canoe, valued at an estimated $20,000. According to the festival, traditional Indigenous canoes are difficult to find and the Canoe Culture organizers of the Four Fires are reviving the lost art.
“It’s the first time in over 100 years we’ve had Indigenous canoe races in False Creek,” said Mike Billy Senior, a seventh-generation Squamish Nation canoe-builder who leads the Canoe Cultures apprenticeship program in Vancouver, in a release. “We are glad to be back.”
Four Fires Festival/fourfires.ca
The organizers explain that the number four is sacred to many Native North American tribes as it represents the four seasons, the four human needs (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual), the four kingdoms (animal, mineral, plant, and human), and the four sacred medicines (sweetgrass, tobacco, cedar, and sage).
They also explain that fire was like a messenger and a gift from their great spirit to Native North Americans. The fire’s smoke was used to clean sacred items such as drums, pipes, and shakers before using them in ceremonies and rituals.
Four Fires Festival’s False Creek Stage will spotlight a variety of Indigenous talent, including JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter George Leach, acclaimed hoop dancer Alex Wells, and traditional Salish song and dance group Coastal Wolf Pack.
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Attendees can also check out an artisan market and the artist showcase before discovering the wide variety of delicious food available during the festival. Come hungry as there will be farm-to-table dishes, curated desserts, bannock and smoked salmon, and more to enjoy.
Four Fires Festival 2022
When: September 10 and 11, 2022
Time: Noon to 7 pm
Where: Concord Pacific Place, the festival grounds at Concord Community Park, and False Creek, Vancouver
Admission: Free
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